- Details
- By Levi Rickert
Mark Charles thinks it is time for America to have a national dialogue about race, gender and class.
Published May 30, 2019
WASHINGTON — With a release of a YouTube video, Mark Charles, a tribal citizen of the Navajo Nation, announced he is running for president of the United States in 2020.
Charles, who is one of the country's leading experts on the Doctrine of Discovery, challenges Americans to get past the current politics of whether America needs to be great again or the opposing viewpoint that America is already great and enter into a national dialogue that involves race, gender and class.
He calls his campaign an 18-month journey.
In his announcement video that runs almost nine minutes, Charles argues "We the People" in the U.S. Constitution was not inclusive of women or Native Americans and only considered African American slaves as only being 3/5 of a person. Charles says even with the attempt to remedy the injustice of slavery of African Americans, the United States now has the highest rate of incarceration in the world with a disproportionate of people of color.
Charles says "We the people have never meant all the people." He feels it is time for inclusion. He says it is time for "We the people to truly means all the people."
Neither a Democrat or a Republican, Charles, who lives in Washington D.C., is running as an independent.
DISCLOSURE: Charles is a longtime contributor to Native News Online
Read his latest Commentary that appeared Monday, on Memorial Day, in Native News Online: A Native Perspective on Memorial Day
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Gets Sen. Warren's Endorsement for US Senate
Democratic Senators Call Out the Harmful Impacts of Trump’s Anti-Voter Executive Order and SAVE Act in Indian Country
Can we take a minute to talk about tribal sovereignty?
Our mission draws from the warrior spirit that has sustained Indigenous peoples for generations — the same spirit that drives us to stand guard over tribal rights through relentless investigation and fearless reporting.
Sovereignty isn't just a concept – it's the foundation of Native nations' right to govern, protect our lands, and preserve our cultures. Every story we publish strengthens tribal sovereignty.
Unlike mainstream media, we center Indigenous voices and report directly from Native communities. When we cover land rights, water protection, or tribal governance, we're not just sharing news – we're documenting our living history and defending our future.
Our journalism is powered by readers, not shareholders. If you believe in the importance of Native-led media in protecting tribal sovereignty, consider supporting our work today.
